Molds all kinds of goodness and all kinds of badness By JeremyJohnson - Posted on August 25th, 2009
They are grown by the millions, but the wrong kind can kill you. They can threaten to destroy your home and even your body. Some can even have well known hallucinogenic effects on your mind. In death Molds will consume us all. Mold is natures great decomposer. There are fungus among us. There are at least 100 different kinds of fungus that grow with-in us on a regular basis. The most common types of fungus are penicillin, yeast, and mold. Over 25,000,000 people suffer from some kind of mold related allergic reaction based illness. Mold releases Mycotoxins and a unknown amount will be kill people everyday.
Mold remediation is a 3 billion dollar a year business. The goal of a remediation job is to lower the interior spore count so that it is lower than the exterior. It is impossible to obtain a mold free environment. Before mold remediation begins it is important to have a mold inspector on site to investigate the area of concern. Once the inspector confirms the presence of mold, he will take samples and send them to the lab for cross contamination evaluation as well as identification.
While the spore is the molds means of transportation it is also its main reproductive body, similar to a plants seed. From a spore, a hypha or a branch grows, a collective of the hyphe known as a mycelia is the molds root system. The part of the mold visible to the naked eye. The mycelia emits enzymes to break down its food, which in residential cases is a wall or kitchen cabinet. More spores more mold. Many people fear the notorious black mold. In fact many types of molds are black and even the numerous types of colorful molds are equally dangerous. Like a snake when threatened some molds will only release their toxins when they feel that the mold is in danger.
Mold needs two ingredients to thrive, nutrients and moisture. Moisture can be found in basements and bathrooms where humidity levels often rise above the 40%-60% acceptable level. The faster an area is dried the less likely it is that you'll have mold growth. Even bathroom mildew carries the same risks as any other mold growth, but is usually easier to clean. When cleaning mold..DONT USE BLEACH. The first step is to locate the issue and repair it. The second step is to dry the effected areas and kill the growth to ensure that it will not come back. The third and final step is to clean the area with any household cleaner besides bleach. Not all molds are dangerous in fact scientists are developing ways to use fungus to attack the common household termite. The only way you'll know for sure is to call a licensed mold inspector to determine the species and spore count that occupies your home.
------------------------------------- Jeremy Johnson NACHI IAC2 President/Senior Inspector CRI Real Estate Inspections, LLC